Bonding with Bullet Journals

You gave up your Filofax years ago in favor of keeping track of all your to-dos on your cell phone. And now you’re intrigued by a paper planner again? Well, of course! Bullet journals are super cute and making them is a perfect way to bond with your kids, let alone a major stress relief exercise for you. The best part of “Bu-joing” is it’s quick, easy, fun and totally on-trend, so much so that your little ones will be absolutely amazed you know of them. And since it’s all about quick bullet points, using them takes hardly any time away from the little you have. Reading along like you know what it is (who doesn’t want to be super hip?) and how to get started but honestly don’t have a clue? Not to worry, we’re on it and have put together the top tips for bullet journals below!

The book

Start with any notebook or pad to create your bullet journal. Shop in stores, online or make your own. One top tip is to print dotted grid paper double-sided, fold into a book with a card stock cover, make holes in the spine and tie with twine.

Organize

Another of the key top tips for bullet journals is to make sure you have categories that make sense for you. Turn each page or spread (two facing pages) into a space for each by labeling at top. Include to-do list, daily log, weekly log, monthly log, future log (your calendars), events, homework, friends, goals and more.

Page numbers

When you start, one of the top tips for bullet journals is to number each page. You can start with the first few and number as you move on. This is important as it goes back to the index (that’s where you’ll add the page numbers to categories; see below). It’s how you will be able to find stuff easily in your bu-jo. Therefore, it’s a step you don’t want to skip.

Index

You will need to start with an Index so that you can easily find what you are looking for. Mark all your categories there. As you add entries to your bullet journal you can add in the page number to the index. So when creating the index, leave plenty of room for future add-ins.

Symbols

What’s different about bu-joing than regular journaling or keeping a diary is the symbols next to the bulleted lists. These make notes, tasks, events instantly and easily recognizable. An “o” bullet is used for events. Use a traditional bullet for tasks. A less than sign means that a task is scheduled. A greater than sign means a task needs to be migrated or moved forward to the next day, week or month. A dash is used for notes, which are facts, ideas, and observations. Even more fun? There are signifiers to further identify your lists, like an asterisk for priority. An exclamation point or inspiration. An eye symbol to explore more. Or make up your own! Just be sure to log all into a key on your front or back page so you know what you are looking at!

Accessories

Last of our top tips for bullet journals? Having a stash of pretty pens and other pieces like stickers makes the process even more inspired.